Clutch.



No. 850,854. PATBNTED APR. 16, 1907. G. M. SPENCER.

CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. e, 19oe.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTEDAPR. 16, 1907. 0. M. SPENCER.

CLUTCH.

' APPLIOATION FILED MAR.8,1906.

2 SHEETSSHET 2- Zheaaaa.

- ED STATE P T NT oFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER SPENCER, OF WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT, ASSLGNOR TOTHE UNIVERSALMACHINE SCREW COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CUNNECTICUT,

CLUTCH.

Windsor, in the county of I-lartford and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a ncw and useful Clutch, of which the following is a Ispecification.

This invention relates to that class of devices which are used forfrictionally eonnectmg a gear, pulley, drum, or wheel with a shaft,journal, spindle, or axle.

-The object of the invention is to provide av deviceortihis class whichissimple and chea to construct and assemble and which will clutch verystrongly and release very easily without shock; or noise. i Theinvention is usable in place of the common friction-clutch, although itis particularly I designed for mechanism where a reverse mo- .tion isdesired, and is especially applicable fonuse, in an automaticscrew-machine, in :Which the direction-of rotation'of high-speedspindles is fre uently changed.

The form 0 the invention shown in the first one and then the other ofgears which are rotated oppositely for the purpose of driving the shaftin opposite directions, and the sliding cones which connect the partswhen moved travel spirally, so that the male and female parts of theclutch engage with a turn that forces themtightly together.

Figure 1 of the drawings shows a longitudinal section of a double clutcharranged for" connecting a shaft with either-of two gears. Fig. 2 showsa transverse section of the same on the plane; indicated by the line 2 2on Fig.1.

Onthe driven shaft -1 is a sleeve 2. These sleeve is held'fromlongitudina movement by the threaded collars 4. Loosely mounted on thesleeve between the collar at one end and a shoulder on the sleeve, sothat it may rotate freely, but cannot move longitudinally of the shaft,is agear 5. Loosely mounted on the other end of the sleeve between thecollar at that end and a shoulder on the sleeve is a gear 6. This gearis free to rotate on the sleeve, but is held against movementlongitudinally of the shaft. 5 is a gear 7 on a solid shaft 8', andmeshing with the gear 6 is a gear 9 on a tubular shaft Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1906. Serial No. 304.888.

drawings is designed to connect a shaft with' are fastened togetherfbythe key 3, and the Meshing with the gear lt'atented April 16 1907.

l 10. The tubular shaft is adapted to be rol tated in one directionandthe solid shaft in l the other direction, so that the gears 5 and 6 lon the sleeve will be rotated in opposite directionsj On the sleevewhich is keyed to the driven l shaft is a longitudinally-movable collar11, l which has a cone 12 at each end. One cone is adapted to enter intoand engage the walls of a conicalrecess in the gear at one end, and theother cone is adapted to enter into and engage the walls of the conicalrecess in' the gear-atthe other end of the sleeve. When a cone engages agear, the driven shaft is. rotated in the same direction as the gear. Inthe exterior of the cone-collar is a groove 13 for the purpose ofreceiving the lever 14, which is employed to move the. cone-collarlengthwise on the sleeve. I

In the outer surface of the sleeve that is keyed to the driven shaft areone or more spiral grooves, and in the inner surface of the cone-collarare corresponding spiral grooves. In these grooves are balls 15. Theseballs key the collar and the sleeve together and at the same time impartto the collar or male clutch part a twist or rotary movement as it ismoved back and forth. They also tend to force the collar lengthwise ofthe sleeve, according to the strain that is brought to bear on thecollar by the gear with which it is engaged. V

If it is designed to rotate the driven shaft proper gear with the sleevethat is keyed to the driven shaft. In order to rotate the driven shaftin the opposite direction, the cone-collar is moved the other way, so asto connect the other gear with the sleeve that is keyed to the drivenshaft. The grooves are so designed that as the male clutch part entersthe fem ale clutch part, the balls cause the collar to move rotarily inthe same direction as the gear is being driven. By reason of this thefriction of the two surfaces as they come together tends to rotate themale clutch part, and this rotation of male clutch l arranged in thismanner a very powerful grip in one direction,the cone-collar is moved bythe lever to one side, so as to connect the part causes it to be forcedby the spiral balls site direction.

this-way insures the easy separation of the 5 parts when it is desiredto stop the rotation of the driven shaft or to engage the other gear androtate the driven shaft in the oppo- As stated, the invention isapplicable for clutching either gears, wheels, pulleys, or

drums, and it may be arranged for connectf ing either one or two drivenbodies to a shaft 1 journal, spindle, or axle. 1

Without departing from the invention the clutch part on the collar couldbe the 3 female part instead of the male part, in which case the malepart would be upon the drivingbody'. One or any desired number of setsof balls may be used for the purpose of s plining the collar to thesleeve, and of course, if desired, the spiral key which connects thesleeve i withthe cone-collar may be formed of some" thing else besidesballs".

The invention claimed is- 1. The combination of a shaft, a sleeve keyedto the shaft, a gear loosely mounted on each end of the sleeve, collarsholding the sleeve in position on the shaft and the gears on the sleeve,a clutch-collar mounted on the l sleeve between the gears and adapted tobe moved longitudinally for connecting either of i the gears with thesleeve, and balls arranged l s irally between and keying together the seeve and the clutch-collar, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a shaft, a sleeve keyed to the shaft, a gearloosely mounted on the sleeve, a collar holding the sleeve in positionon the shaft and the gear on the sleeve, a clutch-collar mounted on thesleeve adjacent to the gear and adapted to bemoved longitui dinallyforconnecting the gear with the sleeve and balls arranged spirallybetween and key- E ing together the sleeve and the-clutch collar,substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a shaft, a sleeve keyed to the shaft, a gearloosely mounted on 3 each end of thesleeve, collars holding the sleevein position on the shaft and the gears on the sleeve, a'clutch-rollarmounted on'the sleeve between the gears and adapted to be movedlongitmlin'ally-for ronnecting either ofthe gears with the sleeve, aspiral key arranged between and. keying together the sleeve and theelutch collar, substantially as 3 specified.

4. The combination of a shaft. a sleeve keyed to the shaft, a gearloosely mounted on the sleeve, a collar holding the sleeve in positionon the shaft and the gear on the sleeve, a

, clutch collar mounted on the sleeve adjacent to the gear and adaptedto be moved longitudinally for connecting the gear with the sleeve, and.a spiral key arranged between and keying together the sleeve and theclutch collar, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a shaft, two gears loosely'mmmted on the shaft, aclutch-collar mounted on the shaft between the gears and adapted to bemoved longitudinally for connecting either of the gears with the shaft,and balls arranged s airally between and keying together the shaft andtheclutch-collar, substantially as s 'ecified.

6. The com ination of a driving-body, a driven body, a clutch-collar'ounted on one body and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged fromthe otlrerbody, and balls occupying coinciding spiral grooves in andkeying together the collar and the body upon which'it is mounted,substantially as specilied.

7. The combination ofa shaft, a sleeve keyed to the shaft, a rotatablebody loosely mounted on the sleeve, a collar movable longitudinallyonthe sleeve and'adapted to be engj ge'd with and disengaged from therotatable ody, and a'loose spiral key occupying coinciding spiralgrooves in and keying together the sleeve and the collar, substantiallyas specified.

CHRISTOPHER M. SPENCER. Witnesses:

ETHEL M. LowE, HARRY R. WILLIAMS.

